What's Past_ Many Splendors (Book 6) - Keith R.A. DeCandido [7]
“So’s everyone else, I wouldn’t worry about it.”
Thinking back over what she wrote in the more recent personal log, she decided it was best. What was I thinking, talking about how someone’s cute in a personal log? What if somebody reads that?
Shaking it off, she sat back down while Lian told the rest of the story, about the Romulan ship, the Iconian base they found, and the away team peculiarly led by Captain Picard himself, and how Data was almost killed by the same program that invaded the Enterprise. Sonya was relieved at that. While she had yet to be formally introduced to the android, she’d seen him in engineering a few times, and had of course heard about the captain’s defending him on Starbase 173, helping establish the android’s sentience, which Sonya had actually thought was a given, though Lian hadn’t. She was glad he was okay, and that nobody was seriously hurt.
“But that’s not the really good part,” Lian said with a smile. “I’ve got a date!”
Sonya blinked. “Huh?”
“You know Soon-Tek Han in security?”
“No.” Sonya didn’t even know who any of the other engineers besides Clancy, Duffy, Russell, and La Forge were. She had far too much work to do to pay attention to security people.
“He’s very nice, and he’s invited me to have dinner with him in Ten-Forward tomorrow. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“I guess,” Sonya said hesitantly. She couldn’t imagine the notion of having time to go on a date. She had her duties, and then she spent her off-duty time going over everything, to make sure she hadn’t missed something, or catching up on the technical journals so she wouldn’t lose track of what was going on while she was out here, or sleeping. Plus, there was always extra work. Geordi La Forge ran an efficient engine room. He had been working with some noncommissioned kid—Lian had said he was the son of the former chief medical officer, and was an “acting ensign,” whatever that meant, due to his great genius—to adjust the deuterium control conduit, even though it was well within specified norms, and if he was going to nitpick the engines that much, Sonya had to stay on her toes. The notion of a social life seemed utterly alien to her.
“Well, I hope you two have fun,” she said gamely, wishing the best for her roommate.
“Thanks. He said he was going to pick the cuisine. Can’t wait to see what it is.”
Sonya smiled, then checked the chronometer and frowned. “Ugh, I’m back on shift in twenty minutes.” She looked down at herself. “I gotta shower and change.”
Both women rose and moved to their respective bedrooms.
“I need sleep,” Lian said. “Talk to you later, Sonya!”
Sonya started removing her uniform as she entered her bedroom. Heading toward the commode, she ordered the computer to read her the table of contents from the Journal of Applied Warp Mechanics. The latest issue of JAWM had been released the day before, but in the hustle and bustle of the Iconian mess, she hadn’t gotten to it. As she showered, she instructed the computer on which articles to flag.
She was not going to be caught out without knowing everything.
CHAPTER
3
Captain’s log, stardate 42737.3. It has been six weeks since our entrance into the Selcundi Drema sector. Each system has revealed the same disturbing geological upheavals on every planet.
Sonya was reading an article on her padd while exiting her bedroom and trying not to scream. “I don’t believe this!”
Lian was eating breakfast at the large table. Swallowing her steaming oatmeal, she asked, “Don’t believe what?”
“This idiot is writing an article on subspace accelerators.”
Frowning, Lian asked, “Didn’t you write a paper on that?” before scooping more oatmeal into her mouth.
“Yes, and this Doctor—” She touched a control to get the article header, with the author’s name. “—Xe’r’b’w’r’s’o is talking through her fur. The magnetic containment unit she has will break